I had a long Debate with my Prof about that question today, i know some of you will see this and will say Amber :facepalm: but i really totally believe in it, yes i know there's wars and hunger BUT.

Women have rights, no more slaves, we have a half white half black as a President, less wars (You can check the percentage of wars in the last 100 years).
Cruelty as a popular entertainment, human victims as a religion, slavery as an instrument for saving employment, genocide as a way to obtain real estate, torture and mutilation as unusual punishments and the death penalty for misdemeanors and differences of opinions are all gone or Significantly decreased.
Global population has increased by almost 30% since 1992, more countries enter the latter stages of the demographic transition,Child mortality is down by around a third, Extreme poverty(the total number of people living on less than $1.25 a day) has fallen significantly (by around a third), There have been many significant social changes in the past two decades, including improvements in school attendance, literacy and female representation in positions of power and influence.
Borders have become more like nets than walls, and this means that wealth, ideas, information and talent can move freely around the globe.

Again, im not saying the world is perfect, i'm just saying it's better than yesterday and less than tomorrow.

viruzzz

02-26-2013 03:30 PM

Re: Is the world getting better?

Overall, I think so, yeah.

Trollicki

02-26-2013 03:47 PM

Re: Is the world getting better?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Punky
(Post 13723522)

I had a long Debate with my Prof about that question today, i know some of you will see this and will say Amber :facepalm: but i really totally believe in it, yes i know there's wars and hunger BUT.

Women have rights, no more slaves, we have a half white half black as a President, less wars (You can check the percentage of wars in the last 100 years).
Cruelty as a popular entertainment, human victims as a religion, slavery as an instrument for saving employment, genocide as a way to obtain real estate, torture and mutilation as unusual punishments and the death penalty for misdemeanors and differences of opinions are all gone or Significantly decreased.
Global population has increased by almost 30% since 1992, more countries enter the latter stages of the demographic transition,Child mortality is down by around a third, Extreme poverty(the total number of people living on less than $1.25 a day) has fallen significantly (by around a third), There have been many significant social changes in the past two decades, including improvements in school attendance, literacy and female representation in positions of power and influence.
Borders have become more like nets than walls, and this means that wealth, ideas, information and talent can move freely around the globe.

Again, im not saying the world is perfect, i'm just saying it's better than yesterday and less than tomorrow.

I admire your optimism, but I am not sure things are quite as rosy as you portray. Women have more rights than they used to, but there are still places where this is not the case - and emancipation has some way to go in the west as well. Slavery is very real in parts of Africa and India (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contemporary_slavery), the fact that a member of a previously disenfranchised group of people managed to attain a lot of power in but one country in the world does not have to mean that there is a shift towards greater possibility of participation in the higher echelons of politics worldwide. Cruelty as a popular entertainment has indeed decreased, human sacrifices as well (though martyrdom is still alive and kicking); torture, mutilation and genocide are decreased, but as the situations in Congo or Sudan have shown us, in no way defeated (and I´m fairly certain there are such cases that happen in other places, but do not make the news).

An increase of population is not a good or bad thing in itself, the ongoing demographic transition is in as far as it makes societies more sustainable. Extreme poverty and child mortality being down are unequivocally good things. Increases in literacy are a very encouraging sign for any society. Borders are still walls in many places :(

All in all, things are moving in the right direction, but we still have a lot to do before we can say that the world is a good place for all. It could be that in some places we might have to take a step back, before taking two steps ahead. I am somewhat hopeful though.

Naudio Spanlatine

02-26-2013 05:01 PM

Re: Is the world getting better?

Nope. Nada. Zero. :ras:

Time Violation

02-26-2013 06:55 PM

Re: Is the world getting better?

It all depends. For some people it's definitely better, for some other probably the same or worse.

MaxPower

02-26-2013 08:58 PM

Re: Is the world getting better?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Punky
(Post 13723522)

Global population has increased by almost 30% since 1992

Was that supposed to be a good thing? It's freaking awful. Overpopulation, pollution, scarcity of resources (not just talking oil, metals etc but also land and fresh water) means we're heading for worse times.

More people getting it better means more strain on the environment, much more pollution and eventually also battles over resources starting to run out. In the end, most likely disasters. If that will be flooding, huge storms, (global warming dilemmas) OR human made ones like a new world war remains to be seen.

We're pretty much at the peak here in the West at least. From here on it will go downhill. Question is just how long we can stay at this plateu. We will no doubt fight with teeth and claws to not compromise on our lifestyle but we're very close to a time were people should consider going vegetarian among other things.

This planet wasn't made to become a giant ant colony that consumes everything. Earth got room for about 2-3 billion people living like for example modern americans. Any more is not sustainable long term.

So in short: yes maybe in the next decades it's not gonna matter much. But expand it to 50-100 years and shit will hit the fan, BIG TIME

MaxPower

02-26-2013 09:09 PM

Re: Is the world getting better?

Not to mention the big economic challenges. The population is aging rapidly since we live much longer but don't work more. In 20 years over half of Europes population will be 60+

Also many countries are living on borrowed time economically. Could write 10 pages about employment rates, trade balance and debt thats showing alarming trends in many countries. It's actually so depressing that it's better if the general population doesn't know...

sexybeast

02-26-2013 11:10 PM

Re: Is the world getting better?

Well, China and India and some so called developping countries are getting better. Europe, USA and other countries called the "west" are going down in almost every department. Some countries are stagnant at the bottom like most of Africa, the middle east aswell in most parts.

Countries, both rich and poor are fighting for resources and food, more and more people fighting for less and less. Technology is not moving fast enought to make it more effective to use resources to different means. Technology is mostly not accelerating in developping solutions to mankind like some predicted. We still use fossil fuel, it takes the same time to travel between continents like it did 40 years ago, we still havent gone past the moon, in fact we havent even landed on the moon in many generations. We havent cured cancer. AI is not making any major breakthroughs, we have no robots to drive our cars and clean our appartments in a proper manner or take care of the elders (partly).

The asians have done some cool stuff with electronics, I give them that. led 3d TVs, smartphones and so on I feel are among the things that define change in the last 10 years. Only gadgets, not important stuff.

I dont see how US having a halfblack president is any definitive way to meassure progress. US population fell for Obama like sheep, I mean there is no substance and only style and glamour, Hollywood stuff. I dont even think his opponents were better, just that the enthusiasm surrounding a subpar leader with no solutions at hand for major problems US is facing and who had no experience prior to becoming president just shows people are no better than sheep, have a good slogan and use big words on speeches and some cool poster and they will behave irrational.

Ok, best thing I have to say about the last 10 years or so is the social media revolution, the free debate on the internet and more democratic exchange of information. Major media moguls lose power every day and information is spread more democratically, no special interest can censor or control what people debate. Could lead to something big when no one listens to major TV networks anymore. A real game changer.

In culture music is absolutely terrible and it gets worse everyday. We cant produce anything people will listen 40 years from now. Movies are OK, I think the mainstream stuff is getting a little bit darker and less corny than before, which is a good thing. Hollywood is less afraid to not play by the rules. Series have progressed a great deal in the 2000s, I cant belive some stuff people watched in the 80s and 90s. Today series are done by great cable tv networks and I find there deeper character studies than in any mainstream films.

Overall things are not better, I actually can see a pit coming up for the western world and I see only some countries like Russia and China avoiding to take the fall with us. Both of these countries are not even democracies, so say what you want how good it is to see them rise as the new powers.

Topspindoctor

02-26-2013 11:14 PM

The world is going down the drain, getting ravaged by self entitlement, political correctness and perversion borne out of liberal politics. Thankfully I will be long gone before the inevitable apocalypse of western civilisation. In the meantime I plan to enjoy the life as much as possible and I recommend everyone else does the same.

The UK has lost its credit rating, has a government hell bent on demonising working poor, non-working poor and disabled, and faces NHS privatisation. All this while cutting jobs, public services and welfare and blaming its predecessors for the 'mess' left behind even though the national debt is only a little higher than it was in 1997.

Action Jackson

02-26-2013 11:22 PM

Re: Is the world getting better?

No, it's relative.

BroTree123

02-26-2013 11:55 PM

Re: Is the world getting better?

In an ethical standpoint, yes to a degree I suppose. Economically? Far from it.

Brick Top

02-26-2013 11:57 PM

Re: Is the world getting better?

World is getting shitter in every day. I cant wait fr a day when we will nuke our arsses off. Good riddance!

Slade

02-27-2013 01:22 AM

Re: Is the world getting better?

"The world" is progressing as expected, I wish I could see the end. :angel:

Mr. Oracle

02-27-2013 03:42 AM

Re: Is the world getting better?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Punky
(Post 13723522)

I had a long Debate with my Prof about that question today, i know some of you will see this and will say Amber :facepalm: but i really totally believe in it, yes i know there's wars and hunger BUT.

Women have rights, no more slaves, we have a half white half black as a President, less wars (You can check the percentage of wars in the last 100 years).
Cruelty as a popular entertainment, human victims as a religion, slavery as an instrument for saving employment, genocide as a way to obtain real estate, torture and mutilation as unusual punishments and the death penalty for misdemeanors and differences of opinions are all gone or Significantly decreased.
Global population has increased by almost 30% since 1992, more countries enter the latter stages of the demographic transition,Child mortality is down by around a third, Extreme poverty(the total number of people living on less than $1.25 a day) has fallen significantly (by around a third), There have been many significant social changes in the past two decades, including improvements in school attendance, literacy and female representation in positions of power and influence.
Borders have become more like nets than walls, and this means that wealth, ideas, information and talent can move freely around the globe.

Again, im not saying the world is perfect, i'm just saying it's better than yesterday and less than tomorrow.

What, no 4th movie thread? :lol: I guess the most important subject in the universe deserves at least one thread.

You’re right, it's ironic and tragic that the human race, while striving towards what is good, and occasionally being able to experience it, has always been beset by evil. I expect this schizoid duality to continue. I thought of the quote from the movie Contact. Sometimes even pop culture has its moments of lucid insight: "You're an interesting species. An interesting mix. You're capable of such beautiful dreams, and such horrible nightmares. You feel so lost, so cut off, so alone, only you're not." Makes me cry like a belieber every time.

Just a few quick observations that come to mind, but I think our precarious situation is actually worse.

What's different now, compared to previous centuries, is how technology has rapidly progressed to the point where any two bit terrorist has in his hands, weapons of mass destruction. There are legions of disillusioned parties itching to use them. The experts say it's only a matter of time before they do. Scary.

We see breakthroughs in food production, but we also see skyrocketing prices in the west and riots in the 3rd world because people cannot afford basic rice any longer.

We see resistant superbugs and unprecedented diseases of such horror which are only a plane ride away from a "neo-black-death" type of global pandemic.

Wars and rumours of wars are always with us. Despite fewer national skirmishes because of the influence of superpowers, warlords still dominate Africa and much of the third world, and operate unchallenged, being ignored by the west. Superpowers themselves are on a collision course as usual; now more than ever.

The breakdown of the nuclear family and absolute morals is producing record numbers of deviants without conscience. I personally see this every day.

Previous economic hubs, and entire cities such as Detroit are declaring bankruptcy and are beset by skyrocketing crime and social upheaval. There is no money to pay the cops. Criminality, never far from the surface, is exploding overnight. This is coming to places like California and many other cities and nations around the world. Violent revolutions and class struggle are sure to follow.

The western capitalist model of never ending consumption is at an end, and it citizens no longer have the money to buy its products because greed has moved their jobs to the east where they are free to employ economic slaves, bringing misery to workers worldwide. It’s not business as usual folks.

Those same companies are wreaking environmental devastation on the third world where pollution laws are lax. Can't breath in most Chinese cities anymore (the world's so called "factory").

The EU is on the verge of catastrophe and North America may quickly follow.

Economic wealth and superpower status is being transferred from west to east, but not before war and "letting it go out of their cold dead fists."

Add to environmental pollution and disasters, droughts and famines of increasing length and severity, and you have the cue for the dénouement, where things go from bad to worse: the four horsemen of the apocalypse (the ultimate badasses!)

(Warning, spoilers ahead)

Things will get worse before they get better, but no thanks to man, or even Nietzsche’s superman; we’ve proven it’s not within our power to change our nature, or even our course. There is no immediate age of Aquarius coming which will solve our problems. We have failed (imho). We won't be allowed to destroy ourselves however:

“And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.” Matthew 24:22

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. . Revelation 21:1-5